#1317 Junior’s Adventure – Junior Takes Flight 

“Okay, whatever you plan to do, your capital is stamina. Every kind of training starts with building endurance. Only with stamina can a person accomplish anything! Willpower? That’s just your last-resort trump card after you run out of stamina! Who trains their secret technique before their basic one?!” 
“Waaah, as expected of Golden Bat, so wiseee.” 

Belphgamilia is doing an excellent job hyping him up. 

Don’t tell me... He’s delegating the training of Prince Goetia—something he suggested himself—and trying to slack off?! 

“Then we begin with basic running. Since you look like you’ve got a good foundation, you’re going straight to the advanced course. One thousand kilos of weights on each arm and leg, then a hundred trips up and down Mt Eternity. It’s steep and the air’s thin, so it’s perfect for building stamina!” 
“Yaaay, Golden Bat has no mercyyyy.” 
“Here’s your set of weights too.” 
“Eh?” 

For some reason, Belphgamilia also gets a full set of weights. 

“Start running! It’s time for a fun, fun hell-run!” 
“So this is S-rank adventurer training! I, Demon Prince Goetia, am thrilled for this unknown experience!” 
“No, wait, I’m not joining the training… No, hey, don’t drag me! My body is heavy...because of the weights! Wait, no, I don’t want to run! I don’t want any strain on my bodyyyyyyyyy!!!” 

And so, Belphgamilia gets dragged away by these two hot-blooded training maniacs. 

…Well, whatever. 
He’s been hibernating for years, so getting some exercise might actually help his re-entry into society. 
If he ever attempts it, anyway. 

…All right. 
With them gone, I’m left alone on the summit of Mt. Eternity...or rather, not alone. 
Someone else stands next to me. 

A truly unbelievable being. 

Sage the Lifeless King. 

Through a long series of additions, subtractions, deductions, and coincidences, I somehow end up face-to-face with this terrifyingly transcendent figure. 

What do I even do?! 
Staying silent feels rude… but what topic can you possibly bring up to the strongest transcendent in existence? 

Weather? 
Can the all-purpose weather-talk deck save me here?! 

“U-Uh… lovely weather today, isn’t it…?!” 
“Good rain knows its proper season.” 

The Sage taps his staff lightly, and the perfectly clear sky above the summit is instantly swallowed by storm clouds. A torrential downpour begins. 

Huuuuuuuuuuuuh?! 
It didn’t work! 
Weather conversation doesn’t work on someone who can control the weather itself! 

The supposedly all-purpose weather topic has met its match! 

“This is not our first meeting.” 

Oh…?! 
...He’s speaking normally? 

“When you first climbed here, you were brought by your father. Your body was much smaller, your face innocent, and from a single glance it was clear that you were loved dearly by your parents and all around you.” 

Ah, yes... 
That sounds about right. 

“Time flows without discrimination. The child protected by many grows like grass and flowers, and now stands as an independent young man. The old see the young grow and realize they have aged. Time flies like a lightning arrow.” 

I’m not entirely sure what he means, but I think he’s giving “your uncle at New Year’s” energy. 

“Um, my father apologizes that he hasn’t been able to visit in a long time.” 

I say something polite just to keep things smooth. 

Actually, I have no idea. 
But if I phrase it like he’s concerned about it, that’ll save Dad’s face. 

“Your father visits often.” 

Huh? 
No way. 

“The Saint loves climbing this mountain. ‘Gotta work off my lack of exercise!’ he says, and comes at least once a year. Each time he brings Sensei, the Professor, or the dragon, and I am glad for the company to ease my solitude. Time flies like an arrow.” 

Seriously?! 
Then Dad is maintaining an excellent relationship with him! 
And I just said something totally random, how embarrassing!!! 

Come to think of it, Dad did ask me a few times recently if I wanted to go hiking with him. 
But I turned him down because I wanted to practice cooking and stuff. 

So he was climbing this mountain?! 
Seriously?! At least tell me that part!!! 

I tried to be respectful and ended up being incredibly rude!!! 

“It is fine, it is fine. Youth is full of such mistakes.” 

The Sage is magnanimous! 
As expected of the strongest Lifeless King, his tolerance is infinite...! 

“I would like to offer some hospitality to a young guest who has come all this way, but alas, in my poor hermit’s dwelling, I have no feast to offer. The best I can do is…” 

Oh, the rain stopped. 

From the wet earth, countless sprouts suddenly emerge. 
They grow at incredible speed, so clearly the Sage is using some sort of divine power. 
Bud by bud, they bloom into magnificent lotus flowers. 

A breathtaking lotus field surrounds the Sage. 

But we're at the mountaintop… 
Lotus shouldn’t even be able to grow here. Can you get lotus root from these? 

“Was the rain for this?” 
“To make the view more festive.” 

I am deeply honored… 
Though I will not mention that I am now soaking wet because of the “festivity.” 

“I would give you at least a parting gift, but I have nothing on hand. Such is the pitiful life of a recluse.” 

Not at all! 

If this goes on, the Sage will lose confidence as a host who can’t properly welcome a guest! 
I need something to fix this...wait! 
I have it! 

“Not at all! I gained something tremendous just by climbing Mt. Eternity!” 

Prince Goetia dragged me up here, but this sacred mountain really does seem to grant blessings to those who climb it. 
As expected of Mt. Eternity! 
Now I understand why Dad climbs it every year. 

“Please watch closely.” 

With the Sage watching, I close my eyes and focus, recalling that moment. 

… 

When you put your hand against sixty-kilometer-per-hour wind pressure, it feels like a boob. 
When you put your hand against sixty-kilometer-per-hour wind pressure, it feels like a boob. 
When you put your hand against sixty-kilometer-per-hour wind pressure, it feels like a boob…! 

… 
Fwoosh. 

 
My body rises off the ground. 

“Ohh, splendid.” 
“By coming here, I learned the art of flight. Gaining such an incredible technique just from climbing this mountain... Mt. Eternity really is amazing!” 

Technically, the trigger was Belphgamilia’s murderous pocket dimension, but still. 

In that crisis, I focused on “touching the air.” I applied my Hand of Ultimacy power to the air around me, letting it lift me, and achieved flight. 

“Bravo! Wonderful! The saint’s son, at such a young age, has reached the realm of the flying immortals! Viva! Harasho!” 

He’s so moved his diction is glitching across world settings. 

“...My apologies.” 

This is my biggest...and honestly only achievement from coming to Mt. Eternity. 

For that alone, I might even thank Prince Goetia. 
…Actually, no, I’m not thanking him... 

Still, this ability is more amazing than I thought. 
Mobility is king. 
Being able to fly means you can reach anywhere with ease. 
Terrain becomes irrelevant. It’s perfect. 

“A man unobserved for three days will change and look anew. Truly words made for you.” 

You flatter me, Sage. 
Anyway, I should get going. 
If I stay too long, they’re going to rope me into training too. 

And now I’ve got the perfect escape technique. 

“Sage, I’ll be taking my leave. Please give my regards to Prince Goetia and the others.” 
“May your journey be blessed.” 

Receiving his farewell, I leap off Mt. Eternity in flight. 
It started with me getting dragged into it, but… looking back, the climb was pretty fun. 

Maybe I should’ve accepted Dad’s invitation the first time.